Metropolitan areas of Mexico

Metropolitan areas of Mexico are groups of towns and cities that work together, usually around a big main city. This idea started in the 1940s when many people moved to cities. Because many people were moving and cities were growing quickly, the way we think about these big areas keeps changing. Experts in Mexico study these areas to learn how they are growing and what they need.

Identifying metropolitan areas in Mexico

The first study to explain how to find groups of cities that work together in Mexico was published in 1978. It described a metropolitan area as the land around a main city and nearby areas that are closely connected to it.

Later studies in 1993 and 2004 helped make official rules to decide which areas count as metropolitan. In 2018, the rules were updated. Today, Mexico has 74 of these areas, where about 75.1 million people live — more than half of the country’s population.

Metropolitan areas beyond municipal borders

In northern Mexico, there are usually fewer, larger areas called municipalities. In central and southern Mexico, there are more, smaller municipalities. Because of this, big cities in the north often include fewer municipalities than those in the center and south.

Some big cities cover more than one state. For example, Greater Mexico City includes parts of Mexico City and Hidalgo. La Laguna covers areas in Coahuila and Durango. Tampico includes parts of Tamaulipas and Veracruz.

Financial situation of metropolitan areas in Mexico

Figuring out the money matters for big city areas in Mexico can be tricky. These areas have many people and lots of different jobs, making things complicated. The Federal government of Mexico sends money to the Municipalities of Mexico, but these big areas have trouble collecting taxes and owe more money. Why it’s hard to change local taxes in these areas isn’t very clear.

List of metropolitan areas in Mexico by population

This page lists the official names, sizes, and the number of municipalities for each metropolitan area in Mexico. The populations are from the 2020 and 2010 censuses.

The largest metropolitan areas include:

• Valley of Mexico / Mexico City
• Monterrey, Nuevo León
• Guadalajara, Jalisco
• Puebla, Puebla
• Toluca, State of Mexico
• Tijuana, Baja California
• León, Guanajuato
• Querétaro, Querétaro
• Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua
• La Laguna, Coahuila and Durango

Two new municipalities were created recently: Bacalar in February 2011 and San Quintín in February 2020.

Transnational conurbations

The United States shares a 2,000 mi (3,000 km) border with Mexico. This is the most crossed international border in the world, with about 250 million legal crossings every year.

The way people live in Mexico, especially in cities, has changed because of strong economic ties between places in northern Mexico and the United States. This change is linked to the growth of factories and the effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Metropolitan areas along the border with the United States are closely connected with cities in the U.S. For example, the San Diego – Tijuana metropolitan area includes San Diego County in the U.S. and the municipalities of Tijuana, Playas de Rosarito, and Tecate in Mexico. In 2009, the total population of this area was just over 5 million, making it the largest area shared between the two countries. The National Population Council (CONAPO) identifies these areas as places with cities of at least 200,000 people that grow together with cities of the US.

Mexico City megalopolis

Main article: Mexico City megalopolis

A megalopolis is a long line of cities and areas that work closely together. An example is the Northeast Megalopolis in the United States. In 1996, a plan called the Programa General de Desarollo Urbano del Distrito Federal first used this idea for the Mexico City megalopolis, also known as the "megalopolis of central Mexico." This idea was later expanded by PROAIRE, a group that cares for the environment in the big city area.

In the Spanish language, this area is called the corona regional del centro de México (regional ring). It includes many big cities and areas around the Valley of Mexico, such as Puebla, Cuernavaca, Toluca, Pachuca, Tlaxcala, Tulancingo, Tula, Cuautla, and Tianguistenco.

The Mexico City megalopolis covers 19,500 square kilometres (7,500 sq miles) and has many parts spread across 6 main areas. It includes 169 municipalities, with 81 in the State of Mexico, 39 in Tlaxcala, 19 in Puebla, 16 in Hidalgo, 14 in Morelos, and 16 boroughs of Mexico City.